Park Cheaply in Innsbruck – Tricks & Tips From the Locals

When parking in Innsbruck there are a few things to consider for residents as well as all guests and holidaymakers: local parking zones and when, how and how much they need to pay. Here we will give you an overview of how you can park cheaply in Innsbruck. You will find out when parking in Innsbruck is free, and you will know what to look out for to avoid paying severe fines.

Let’s start at the beginning.

Arriving by car to Innsbruck and parking

The short-term parking zone and the parking space or parking zone are marked in Innsbruck with signs on the edge of the zone. They apply to the entire city center and almost the entire city area. Read the article to learn what to look out for.

Innsbruck can be easily reached by car via the Inntal motorway. After passing the city limits, road users will be greeted by green rectangular signs on the roadside. They show the parking zone and what regulations apply in this area of ​​the city.

The parking zones in Innsbruck affect (almost) the entire city area – and all areas of the city center, and there are no tricks for working around this. In case of doubt, the parking regulations are available at the nearest parking meter or you can inquire about the current regulations with the authorities.

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Parking during a short break in Innsbruck

For a short trip to Innsbruck or a holiday of up to 1 week, we recommend arriving by train or bus. The city center is quite manageable and everything is within walking distance.

If you still have to park, leave your car and use cheaper long-term parking in a multi-story car park or private parking lot.

For a weekend trip, you can leave your car in some areas for free from 7 p.m. on Fridays until 9 a.m. on Monday morning. In the city center, you MUST often move your car after a maximum of 180 minutes, as this is a so-called “short-term parking zone”. Rather unsuitable for a relaxing vacation.

You can also get to the ski areas and hiking tours reliably and quickly using public transport.

The ski buses to the neighboring ski areas are also free!

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How much does parking cost in Innsbruck?

Parking in Innsbruck costs 2 euros per hour on working days between 9 a.m. and 9 p.m. in all public parking spaces.

In some parking zones (outside the center) the parking time is not limited to 180 minutes. Parking here costs 8 euros for one day – have the right amount of money in coins with you, the meters don’t accept notes and dont return money. Some international parking apps work, but they are very limited and you have to pay an extra fee for using them for each ticket. They also do not offer the option of buying a 1-day ticket usually.

Discounts for long-term parkers are only available in private parking spaces such as in the parking garages. A monthly private parking card costs around 100 euros.

In some parts (entire center) the parking time in public parking lots is limited to 90 or 180 minutes.

Free parking in Innsbruck

The entire city area has been a parking zone since 2018. This means that all public parking spaces are marked and have to be paid for. It is only allowed to park in marked or private areas.

You can only park free of charge in Innsbruck on Sundays and public holidays. On Saturdays (usually from 13:00) and at the evening from 21:00 to 9:00 in the morning.

Some parking garages such as at the train station as well as at the shopping centers (DEZ, West, Sillpark and in some inner-city parking garages) customers can park for one to 3 hours free of charge for shopping purposes.

Free parking in Innsbruck : Sundays, Saturdays (from 1 p.m.) and at night between 9 p.m. and 9 a.m.

What is the price of illegal parking in Innsbruck?

Parking without a valid parking ticket costs 25 euros administrative penalty. Failure to pay the fine within the required period increases the costs immensely – usually to over 250 euros. The first letter you receive is a friendly reminder for special price of 40-60 euros ;).

Illegal parking on private land is a criminal offense under civil law in Austria – it is up to the landowner to tow away the wrongful parker and bring an action for infringement.

A warning with a declaration of cease and desist is also common and provided for by local law.

Illegal parking on private property can therefore be very expensive: fines and costs of 150-3000 euros are not uncommon. Sometimes there is some room for negotiating the final amount of the penalty.

Parking zone in Innsbruck – what should be considered?

The entire city center and almost the entire city area are in a parking zone. This means that as soon as you are in this area, the respective zone regulations apply. Some complain that they did not see the signs, but it never works.

At the end of a parking zone, you will find another sign on the roadside that defines the current rule here.

If you are unsure which regulations apply, look at the nearest parking meter, there are the valid parking times and costs. The overview map here will help you to get your bearings.

Are there any tricks to circumvent this parking zone? There is only one excuse: heavy snowfall and parking lots and cars covered in snow almost a meter high. How long the parking is not controlled in this special event is not 100% defined. One to three days is what we discovered. All other loopholes are pointless – controls are the norm in Innsbruck several times a day.

Do you get several tickets in one day in Innsbruck?

Yes, several parking tickets can be accumulated in one day.

How often is parking checked in Innsbruck?

In our experience, checks are carried out two to four times a day on most days in Innsbruck. The controls vary, of course, on a daily basis and depending on the district.

The inspectors wear gray and blue outfits and can be recognized by the official signs and ID cards with their logo and service number. The inspectors also have a digital recording device that digitally records possible administrative offenses directly.

There is no cash payment on site.

How long can you park for free in Innsbruck?

All of Innsbruck is a parking zone. This means that all possible parking spaces are marked and you are only allowed to park there or on private properties.

On Sundays, you can park for free in all public car parks

On Saturdays from 1 p.m., you can park for free in all public car parks

Night parking: In almost all areas, night parking is free from 9 p.m. to 9 a.m.

In addition, short-term holding (about 5 minutes) for loading and unloading is permitted.

Special case: parking in snow in Innsbruck

Sometimes a heavy snowfall paralyzes Innsbruck and there can be a meter of snow in the city. During this period, the magistrate cannot guarantee the control of the parking spaces (you then have other things to do), and the spaces are only partially controlled.

In our experience, after a heavy snowfall – depending on whether the road has already been cleared and how heavy the snowfall was – there are 1 to 3 days during which no parking controls take place.

Resident parking card for Innsbruck – what is important?

Long-term parking is (almost exclusively) only possible for residents of the city. The prerequisite is an “I” license plate, ie a vehicle registered in Innsbruck – that means you or the vehicle owner must have your main residence in Innsbruck. The resident parking card is called a long-term parking permit in Austria.

More information from the city administration.

What does the resident parking card cost in Innsbruck?

The resident parking card or long-term parking permit costs 6.18 euros per month. There are also fees for each application: around 18 euros federal tax and an additional 10 to 60 euros administrative fee depending on the duration of the grant (1 week to 2 years).

How can you pay for parking spaces in Innsbruck?

In the parking zone in Innsbruck (whole city) you can pay with cash at the pay terminals.

Important: Almost all machines DO NOT give any change! 

Parking payment in Innsbruck Via app: There are some apps with which parking in Innsbruck by credit card and bank card (maestro) is possible. There are currently 4 providers, here is an overview.

All parking apps for Innsbruck charge an additional fee for the parking process. So you pay the parking time plus a fee to the app.

Current fees according to the table (in our experience the actual costs are higher)

Easypark: about 50 cents + possibly basic fee

Mobile phone parking: 18 cents (very limited access)

Parkandmore: 20 cents

Parknow about 29 cents or 2.99 euros basic fee

Where can you park for free at Innsbruck main station?

You can park for a short time free of charge at Innsbruck Central Station. The free parking time is 15 minutes and there are 5 parking spaces in the underground car park in the “Kiss and Ride” zone. At the station square, there is also the possibility to pick up and drop off travelers. The 15-minute rule also applies here. The special parking areas are marked in blue.

Parking at the Innsbruck clinic

Patient transport to and from the clinic: Stopping and parking is only permitted in parking spaces marked BLUE for a period of 30 minutes.

With an entry permit at the barriers, please ask again where and how long you can stay on site!

Parking outside the clinic: short-term parking zone – up to 180 minutes (2021 tariff: 1 euro per 30 minutes) or in the West parking garage.

Long-term parking at Innsbruck Hospital: The West garage is available for LKI patients. Costs: 0.04 euros/minute or first full day: 12 euros, additional days 6.5 euros each. Monthly ticket 122 euros.

Monthly ticket for parking Innsbruck

There are monthly tickets for everyone on a few private parking spaces in Innsbruck. This is the case, for example, in the WIFI Tirol (near the port) – the monthly ticket costs € 99 in 2021. For participants in a WiFI course – 66 euros.

Is parking safe in Innsbruck?

Short answer: yes. Innsbruck is – at least it feels like – one of the safest cities in Europe. Parking damage to the car or break-ins are extremely rare. 

Can theft happen? Sure, of course, mostly with very high-quality cars and by professional thieves. Stolen car radios, airbags, or other car thefts have not yet been witnessed by us (which does not mean that they do not exist). Also you can leave your belongings in the car during the day and overnight. Seeing skiing equipment in a car for example is very common.